The Two Taverns at Robins Hill, part three

January 24, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Amwell Township, Families, Hunterdon, Raritan Township, Robins Tags: Buchanan's Tavern, early settlers, land titles, roads, taverns

A response to the article written by Egbert T. Bush on August 7, 1930 entitled “Buchanan’s, A Tavern With A Long History”
(Part One and Part Two)

Daniel and Frances Robins

Continuing on the quest to find Buchanan’s Tavern, let us return to Daniel Robins, who died in 1763. My previous post mentioned that his wife Frances was named administrator of his estate. Surety (“fellowbondsman”) for administration of the estate was Thomas Atkinson, merchant. The Inventory was made by John Mullinner and John Emley. These were all important men in early Kingwood Township, which is some reflection on Daniel Robins. Thomas Atkinson ran an important store in Kingwood.¹ John Emley was a wealthy Quaker and large landowner in Kingwood Township. (He was close enough to the Robins family to be named to make the inventory of Daniel Robins, along with Hugh Hicks.) John Mullinner was also a Quaker of Kingwood Township. With these three Kingwood men involved in the estate, one might conclude that Daniel Robins lived there also, but there is no evidence that he did. Perhaps the real connection was their Quaker religion. Sure enough, the minutes of the Kingwood Monthly Meeting show that on the 10th day of the 7th month (Sept. 10), 1758, Daniel Robins declared himself a Quaker.

Daniel Robins’ House

January 23, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Families, Hunterdon, Raritan Township, Robins Tags: houses

Previously I have written about the old stone house sitting on top of Robins or Buchanan’s Hill, on the old track of County Route 579. In that article, The Two Taverns at Robins Hill, I described this early resident of Hunterdon County, who died around 1737. After the article was published, I was contacted by Carl MacDonald who’s family has owned the property, and he sent me an early picture of the house.

The Division of Amwell Township, 1838

January 22, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Amwell Township, Delaware Township, Hopewell Township, Hunterdon, Lambertville, Raritan Township, Stockton Tags: "The Post", 1838, early legislation, local government, politics

This year residents of Delaware Township in Hunterdon County celebrate the 175 years since the township was created. The story of how this came about is a surprising one, and a little disheartening.

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Albertus Myers’ Bible

January 20, 2013 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Township, Families, Myers

Many years ago while researching the family of Albertus Myers of Amwell Township (now Delaware Township), I came across his pension application on microfilm at the David Library. There, much to my joy, I found a page from the family bible. I assume they tore it out of the bible and included it with the application; they certainly didn’t photocopy it.

The Two Taverns at Robins Hill, Part Two

December 23, 2012 By Marfy Goodspeed in Amwell Township, Families, Hunterdon, Kitchen, Myers, Raritan Township, Robins Tags: Buchanan's Tavern, early settlers, houses, land titles

A response to the article by Egbert T. Bush on August 7, 1930 titled
“Buchanan’s, A Tavern With A Long History” and a continuation from Part One, A History of the Old Stone House on Robins Hill (Raritan Twp. Block 60 lot 40)

Anyone who has attempted to sort out land titles in the 18^th century, particularly in New Jersey, knows what frustration is. It’s true, there are some records, but they are so incomplete, so full of hints that can’t be verified, that I feel just a little uneasy about the claims I am about to make. But make them I will.

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The Two Taverns At Robins Hill

December 8, 2012 By Marfy Goodspeed in Amwell Township, Families, Hunterdon, Raritan Township, Robins Tags: Buchanan's Tavern, early settlers, houses, land titles, roads, taverns

A response to the article written by Egbert T. Bush on August 7, 1930 entitled
“Buchanan’s, A Tavern With A Long History”

Never, never assume. That’s a lesson I have just learned again. When I began looking into the history of Buchanan’s Tavern, I was operating on the assumption that the original 18th century tavern was the old stone house at the top of the hill on Route 579, just north of the intersection of County Routes 523 and 579. And the newer Buchanan’s was the old house on the northeast corner of the intersection, now owned by the Micek family. Turns out, I was wrong, but now I know why. And I’ve gotten a chance to write about one of my favorite early settlers, Daniel Robins. Here is the tale:

Buchanan’s, A Tavern With A Long History

November 22, 2012 By Marfy Goodspeed in Buchanan, E. T. Bush, Families, Historians Revisited, Raritan Township, Robins, Sutton, Thatcher Tags: Buchanan's Tavern, land titles, roads, taverns

Property Was Formerly Owned by Judge Adam O. Robbins
Stood at Important Crossroads

by Egbert T. Bush, Stockton, N.J.
published in the Hunterdon County Democrat, August 7, 1930

This article needs many more footnote annotations than most of the Bush articles I have published so far. In fact, despite the 24 footnotes in this article, there is so much to say about it, that I find it necessary to write a separate post. It is called “The Two Taverns at Robins Hill.“

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Another House Lost

November 16, 2012 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Township, Fisher, Gordon, Heath, Sergeantsville Tags: Going, houses

The Gordon-Fisher Homestead

Gordon-Fisher House — Fisher Tenant House, Nov. 13, 2012, photographed by Renee Kiriluk-Hill

photograph found on NJ.com, taken by Renée Kiriluk-Hill for the Hunterdon County Democrat http://connect.nj.com/user/rbhill/photos.html

On November 13, 2012, the home of Brian McVey and his 11-year-old son Calvin was destroyed by fire. Not only did they lose all their possessions, they also lost their dog, who for reasons unknown ran back into the house while the McVeys were escaping. The community is coming together to help the McVeys get back on their feet. Gift cards to places like Target, Walmart, Lowes, etc. can be delivered to the Delaware Township school, in an envelope marked for Eileen Ventimiglia and Sue Whitlock.

John Lambert’s Letters, 2/19/1808

October 28, 2012 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Township, Families, Hoppock, Hunterdon, Lambert Tags: John Lambert

beginning in 1807 when Lambert was a member of Congress
ending in 1815 when Lambert was in his last year as a U. S. Senator

The original letters can be found in the Emma Finney Welch Collection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. I have transcribed the letters as Lambert wrote them, which is why there is an absence of commas and periods. My only change is the addition of paragraph breaks to make the letters easier to follow. Check my running glossary of names mentioned by Lambert to see who he’s referring to.

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